March 20, 2009 Volume 110 Number 6
 

Portland construction crew 'tip' turns into cash for kids
What started as a lark at a downtown Portland construction site evolved into a campaign to help kids at Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

[Roger Bullock, left, a member of Operating Engineers Local 701, shows money that construction workers taped to the wall of the elevator he operates at a job site in downtown Portland.]


Washington's top Democrats kill priority labor bill
Three top Democrats in the state of Washington announced March 10 they were killing the Washington State Labor Council's top priority bill — because of an e-mail that threatened a halt to campaign contributions. And that wasn’t all: The three asked the Washington State Patrol to investigate whether the e-mail violated state law.

Teamsters strike ends at Oak Harbor Freight, but dispute continues

Teamsters at Oak Harbor Freight Lines ended their strike and returned to work in March, but without the protection of a union contract. Management has suspended 13 union supporters for alleged strike misconduct, and has begun to impose its own terms on union members. 
Judge bans Bill Sizemore from involvement with charities
Bill Sizemore, the perennial sponsor of anti-union initiatives on the Oregon ballot, is now subject to a court order banning him from running or working for any tax-deductible non-profit charity.
Multnomah County AFSCME unit approves wage freeze
Union workers at Multnomah County voted by a very strong margin to freeze their own wages — in order to prevent layoffs and cuts to county services.

University of Portland business students volunteer to work for union
Two dozen students from the University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business will attend the Monday, March 23, meeting of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, and offer to volunteer at a local union office in groups of two or three.

Oregon retirees alliance elects new officers
Jerry Morris, retired member of the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon, was elected president of the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans March 14 at the organization’s annual convention.